John D. Leslie

John D. Leslie represents debtors, financial institutions, receivers, trustees, customers, suppliers and other creditors and stakeholders in major insolvency and restructuring proceedings. Over the past several years he has been extensively involved in a number of auto industry-related insolvency cases in the United States and Canada. John also has extensive experience in a variety of litigation matters relating to insolvency, bankruptcy, commercial fraud and general commercial and priority disputes, including those arising from equipment and inventory financing. He advises on cross-border issues as they relate to the protection and realization of assets. John’s focus is on counseling inbound Canadian investment and businesses seeking to establish operations in Canada.

John has been an instructor for the business law and insolvency sections of the Ontario Bar admission courses and has conducted many seminars on bankruptcy law, litigation, security enforcement and other insolvency matters for various professional organizations. John has offices in both Windsor and Toronto.

• Represented a leading Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in the automotive industry, negotiating agreements to facilitate and manage the restructuring proceedings of a Tier 1 supplier, spanning across jurisdictions in the United States and Canada.

Seminars and Events

• So Close – So Much Opportunity: U.S. Business Potential in Toronto
• Helping You and Your Clients Do Business in Canada – Kalamazoo
• Helping You and Your Clients Do Business in Canada – Chicago
• SAE Automotive Luncheon Briefing
• Employee Reductions and Plant Closings: Legal Considerations in the United States, Mexico, Canada, China, India and Europe – Grand Rapids
• Employee Reductions and Plant Closings: Legal Considerations in the United States, Mexico, Canada, China, India and Europe – Troy

Articles and Newsletters

• Co-Author, “When Receiverships Collide with Bankruptcy: Practical Lessons from the U.S. and Canada,” the American Bankruptcy Institute, August 2026
• Co-Author, “Bridging Borders,” DBusiness Magazine, February 2026
• Managing Uncertainty Through Financial Crisis Requires Proactive Guidance
• Doing Business in North America (Volume 1 – United States)
• Doing Business in North America (Volume 2 – Canada)
• Doing Business in Poland
• Automotive Guide
• Recent Amendments to Canadian Insolvency Legislation